Distributed computer monitoring system and methods for autonomous computer management

• US 7,269,757 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2003
• Issued: 09/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Reflectent Software, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Norman, Dustin, Lieblich, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Baderman; Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOHN, JOSHUA A
• Application Number:
  US10/626,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20050022209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 714/21, 714/37
• US Class Current: 714/37
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided by which a flexible, efficient and easy-to-use real-time enterprise management system is provided. The methods and systems provided can effectively monitor and manage the resources and events of each of a plurality of computers within a fluidly changing network environment (e.g. client/server and peer-to-peer networks). Also provided are methods and systems which allow an individual computer to determine whether or not its current performance characteristics vary from their acceptable parameters without having to contact any other computer. Finally provided are methods and systems by which computers can analyze and store data regarding their performance characteristics in real time.

Claims

1. A method of analyzing resources and events of a computing environment comprising:

(a) storing in a first database located within a first computer a first dataset describing the resource and event characteristics of the first computer at a first moment in time;

(b) storing in the first database a second dataset describing the resource and event characteristics of the first computer at a second moment in time;

(c) comparing, by an agent of the first computer system, the first dataset and the second dataset in order to determine whether the differences indicate the occurrence of an exceptional event; and

(d) when an exceptional event has occurred, initiating by the agent of the first computer system an exception handling routine comprising;

i. establishing communication with an agent executing on a second computer, the established communication occurring in a peer-to-peer fashion;

ii. querying the second agent to determine if a substantially similar exceptional event occurred at the second computer; and

iii. receiving a response from the agent of the second computer, the response comprising information related to the substantially similar exceptional event.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein initiating an exception handling routine further comprises notifying a human user of the exceptional event at the first computer.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising notifying a server of the occurrence of an exceptional event at the first computer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a notification of the exceptional event in a second database.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the storing comprises, storing the notification of the exceptional event in the second database, the second database being located at the second computer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the response in the first database.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising storing the response in the a second database, the second database being located at a server.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a response from the agent of the second computer comprises, receiving instructions from the second computer, the instructions comprising an action to be taken by the first computer in response the exceptional event.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the resources and event characteristics of the first computing device comprise at least one process executing on the first computer.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the resources and event characteristics of the first computing device comprise at least one system resource executing on the first computer.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the resources and event characteristics of the first computing device comprise at least one application event occurring on the first computer.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the resources and event characteristics of the first computing device comprise at least one end-user action executed on the first computer.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the resources and event characteristics of the first computing device comprise at least one operating system event occurring on the first computer.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the resources and event characteristics of the first computing device comprise at least one shared network system in communication with the first computer.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the resources and event characteristics of the first computing device comprise at least one shared network resource in communication with the first computer.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

iv. establishing communication with an agent executing on a third computer, the established communication occurring in a peer-to-peer fashion between the second computer and the third computer;

v. querying the third agent to determine if a substantially similar exceptional event occurred at the third computer; and

vi. receiving a response from the agent of the third computer, the response comprising information related to the substantially similar exceptional event.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the receiving a response from the agent of second computer comprises receiving a response from the agent of the second computer wherein the response comprises the response from the agent of the third computer.

18. The method of claim 1 receiving a response from the agent of the second computer comprises, receiving a response after the agent of the second computer compares a first dataset and a second data set stored in a database of the second computer to determine whether the exceptional event occurred at the second computer.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a response from the agent of the second computer comprises, receiving a response from a server storing an aggregation of exceptional events from a plurality of agents each executing on a respective computer.

20. A system for analyzing resources and events of a computing environment, the system comprising:

a first computer comprising a first database that stores a plurality of datasets that described resource and event characteristics of the first computer at respective moments in time; and

an agent in communication with the first computer, the agent comparing at least two respective datasets of the database to determine whether the differences between the datasets indicate the occurrence of an exceptional event and initiating an exception handling routine when the difference indicate an exceptional event occurred, the exception handling routine comprising;

establishing peer-to-peer communication with an agent executing on a second computer;

querying the second agent to determine if a substantially similar exceptional event occurred at the second computer; and

receiving a response from the agent of the second computer, the response comprising information related to the substantially similar exceptional event.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the exception handling routine further comprises notifying a human user of the exceptional event.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the exception handling routine further comprises notifying a server of the exceptional event.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein the first database stores the occurrence of the exceptional event therein.

24. The system of claim 20 wherein the first database stores the response therein.

25. The system of claim 20 wherein the agent transmits the occurrence of the exceptional event to the second computer and wherein the second computer stores the exceptional event in a second database associated with the second computer.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the second computer is a server.

27. The system of claim 20 wherein the response comprises instructions to execute in response to the occurrence of the exceptional event.

28. The system of claim 20 wherein the resources and event characteristics of the first computing device comprise at least one process executing on the first computer.

29. The system of claim 20 wherein the resources and event characteristics of the first computing device comprise at least one system resource executing on the first computer.

30. The system of claim 20 wherein the resources and event characteristics of the first computing device comprise at least one application event occurring on the first computer.

31. The system of claim 20 wherein the resources and event characteristics of the first computing device comprise at least one end-user action executed on the first computer.

32. The system of claim 20 wherein the resources and event characteristics of the first computing device comprise at least one operating system event occurring on the first computer.

33. The system of claim 20 wherein the resources and event characteristics of the first computing device comprise at least one shared network system in communication with the first computer.

34. The system of claim 20 wherein the resources and event characteristics of the first computing device comprise at least one shared network resource in communication with the first computer.

35. The system of claim 20 wherein the exception handling routine further comprises:

establishing communication with an agent executing on a third computer, the established communication occurring in a peer-to-peer fashion between the second computer and the third computer;

querying the third agent to determine if a substantially similar exceptional event occurred at the third computer; and

receiving a response from the agent of the third computer, the response comprising information related to the substantially similar exceptional event.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein the response received from the second computer comprises the response from the third computer.

37. The system of claim 20 wherein the agent of the second computer compares at least two respective datasets of a second database to determine whether the differences between the datasets indicate the occurrence of a substantially similar exceptional event.

38. The system of claim 20 wherein the response received from the second computer comprises a response from a server storing an aggregation of exceptional events from a plurality of agents each executing on a respective computer.

39. A system for analyzing resources and events of a computing environment, the system comprising:

(a) means for storing in a first database located within a the first computer a first dataset describing the resource and event characteristics of the first computer at a first moment in time;

(b) means for storing in the first database a second dataset describing the resource and event characteristics of the first computer at a second moment in time;

(c) means for comparing, the first dataset and the second dataset in order to determine whether the differences indicate the occurrence of an exceptional event; and

(d) when an exceptional event has occurred, initiating means for executing an exception handling routine, the routine comprising;

i. establishing communication with an agent executing on a second computer, the established communication occurring in a peer-to-peer fashion;

ii. querying the second agent to determine if a substantially similar exceptional event occurred at the second computer; and

iii. receiving a response from the agent of the second computer, the response comprising information related to the substantially similar exceptional event.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein the exception handling routine further comprises notifying a human user of the exceptional event at the first computer.

41. The system of claim 39 wherein the exception handing routine further comprises notifying a server of the occurrence of an exceptional event at the first computer.

42. The system of claim 39 further comprising means for storing the notification of the exceptional event in a second database.

43. The system of claim 39 further comprising means for storing the response in the first database.

44. The system of claim 39 further comprising means for storing the notification of the exceptional event in the second database, the second database being located at the second computer.

45. The system of claim 39 wherein the instructions received from the second computer comprise an action to be taken by the first computer in response the exceptional event.

46. The system of claim 39 further comprising means for storing the response in the a second database, the second database being located at a server.

47. The system of claim 39 wherein the resources and event characteristics of the first computing device comprise at least one process executing on the first computer.

48. The system of claim 39 wherein the resources and event characteristics of the first computing device comprise at least one system resource executing on the first computer.

49. The system of claim 39 wherein the resources and event characteristics of the first computing device comprise at least one application event occurring on the first computer.

50. The system of claim 39 wherein the resources and event characteristics of the first computing device comprise at least one end-user action executed on the first computer.

51. The system of claim 39 wherein the resources and event characteristics of the first computing device comprise at least one operating system event occurring on the first computer.

52. The system of claim 39 wherein the resources and event characteristics of the first computing device comprise at least one shared network system in communication with the first computer.

53. The system of claim 39 wherein the resources and event characteristics of the first computing device comprise at least one shared network resource in communication with the first computer.

54. The system of claim 39 wherein the exception handling routine further comprises:

iv. establishing communication with an agent executing on a third computer, the established communication occurring in a peer-to-peer fashion between the second computer and the third computer;

v. querying the third agent to determine if a substantially similar exceptional event occurred at the third computer; and

vi. receiving a response from the agent of the third computer, the response comprising information related to the substantially similar exceptional event.

55. The system of claim 54 wherein the receiving a response from the agent of second computer comprises receiving a response from the agent of the second computer wherein the response comprises the response from the agent of the third computer.

56. The system of claim 39 receiving a response from the agent of the second computer comprises, receiving a response after the agent of the second computer compares a first dataset and a second data set stored in a database of the second computer to determine whether the exceptional event occurred at the second computer.

57. The system of claim 39 wherein receiving a response from the agent of the second computer comprises, receiving a response from a server storing an aggregation of exceptional events from a plurality of agents each executing on a respective computer.